


Universal Signs?

by obsessivechild



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Bar, Gay, M/M, Universal signs, breakdown - Freeform, episode, rant, ranting, universe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 12:43:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8402179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsessivechild/pseuds/obsessivechild
Summary: Frank finally snaps and a cute stranger comes to see what's wrong.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, yesterday I fell down a hole again and it was so surreal because I hadn't felt that bad in over half a year. I guess it was everything that had happened recently (a lot of bad shit rained down on me over the last two weeks) finally smashed me in the face and I ended up face down on the floor. But you know what? Fuck that. Fuck it all, man. That the best you can do? I got right back up, shoved my middle fingers in the air and yelled FUCK YOU.
> 
> This is lit Frank just voicing my opinions.

"Come on, Dude. I know there's nothing I can say to make it better but you just gotta ride the wave until something better comes along."

Frank downed the rest of his beer in one gulp, squeezing the can in his hand to flatten it when it was empty. “ _Fucking_ \- You know _what_? Fucking Universe can eat shit!"

Ray looked slightly weary but tried to keep up. "Um what?"

It had only been a moment ago that Frank had been on the verge of tears, talking about how guys never liked him and how shit his course at college was. He had had a pretty shit couple of weeks and another shitty thing after shitty thing kept dropping down on him and he had finally broken down to Ray on a night out. Ray was good at comforting his friends but he hadn’t expected Frank to go full circle from talking about ending things to the _fucking_ _Universe_ _can_ _eat_ _shit_.

Frank almost fell attempting to stand up from the little outdoor table they were sat at outside the bar. He gracefully caught himself before his legs went from under him and hauled himself up, throwing the can onto the floor with a satisfying crack.

"This fucking _wave_ I'm on can go fuck itself! _And_ \- You know what? Come on!" He threw his arms out, looking up to the dark sky, "Is this the best you can do? Is this the best you can throw at me, Universe?! I fucking think _not_.”

"Frank." Ray glanced around to see that people were watching to his horror, "Calm down." Causing a scene had not been the original plan when they had met up for a drink.

"Try harder next time." Frank spat on the ground, dropping his arms.

"Nice to see the confidence but, man-" Ray looked around again, "You're gonna get us kicked out."

"From the outside?" Frank looked at him with a smirk, "This is everyone's world." He then proceeded with his _fuck_ _everything_ attitude by climbing up onto the bench he had previously been sitting on.

"I don't deserve this! I can bounce back from this!"

He hadn't drank that much had he? Ray tried to count backwards.

Frank was looking down and seemed to be directing his next outburst at his friend. "Fuck it all, you know? The Universe can fuck off and give me a break. I know I'm not anything special but I do _not_ deserve this!"

Ray forgot about how embarrassing Frank was being and his expression softened. Frank seemed to be having an episode of some sort and damn if Ray wasn't going to be supportive anyway. "I know, Buddy, you don't."

Frank, still stood on top of the bench, crossed his arms and apparently had more to say, "I don't care if I killed someone in a past life because that's not me now, okay?"

"Okay." Ray agreed, more entertained than anything now as he drank some more of his beer, "Tonight's been a bit of a rollercoaster for you, huh?"

Frank nodded in agreement, "Yeah and I'm climbing back up like, _fuck_ _you_ , _bitches_ , _give_ _me_ _a_ _free_ _ride_."

He looked back up at the night sky and pointed. "You hear that? I'm done. I'm out! Send whatever you want my way but it better make me happy or I swear to God. I have done my dues! Send me something good! Fuck knows I've earned it! _Universe_ , you listening?! Send me a fucking sign!"

"Um is he okay?"

Frank dropped his arm and looked down again to see a guy stood next to Ray, staring up at him with worried eyes.

Ray was looking at the guy as he replied, "Yeah, don't mind him. Just let him get it out of his system. He's had a shitty week."

Frank just continued to stare at the guy in interest.

"Right." The guy's expression was still one of concern but his eyes lit up slightly, "Don't fall." He turned his attention to Ray. "How much has he had to drink?"

"Not one too many yet. Believe it or not, he's still mostly sober."

"Mostly." The guy repeated with a small smile. He looked up at Frank again. "Maybe you should get down, Dude."

Silently, and to the surprise of both the mystery stranger and Ray, Frank jumped down off the bench and sat down on it instead. He was suddenly aware of his lack of alcohol and how pretty this stranger was.

"Oh, so you calm down when _he_ tells you to but not when I do?" Ray smirked which dropped the angry tone completely.

Frank just shrugged, still completely and very obviously staring at the guy in question. "Are you my sign?" He asked quietly.

The guy opened his mouth before shutting it again and frowning with a smile on his face. Before he could actually reply, Ray cut in again.

"Dude, just ignore him." He looked at Frank again, "Maybe you should head home, Bud."

Frank just shook his head. Was the Universe trying to tell him something? Like, come on, it seemed _awfully_ _fishy_ that when he yelled for a sign, a guy turned up a second later.

Or maybe it was all just a coincidence.

"I don't know about being a sign." The guy finally spoke, "But I _am_ Gerard."

"Frank." Frank said, offering a small smile.

"And I'm Ray." Ray grinned, apparently enjoying that game. He looked at Gerard again, "Do you work here or something?"

Gerard frowned and sat down on the bench opposite Frank. "No, I don't."

"Oh." Ray seemed surprised by his answer, "It's just that you came over. I thought you'd received complaints."

Gerard laughed some sort of breathy, pitchy laugh and Frank stared even more in awe.

"Nah, I saw the whole thing and my brother bet me I wouldn't come over to see what was going on."

Frank's guard was instantly up. "So you just came to watch the show?" He crossed his arms on the table in front of him.

Gerard seemed to instantly regret the implication behind his words because his face dropped and he started gesticulating wildly. "No, no, no! That's not what I meant. I wanted to see if you were okay and Mikey uh.. Mikey said I didn't have the guts. But, you know, after four rounds of whiskey and coke I'm all good. Except when I say the wrong thing. Jeez, I'm sorry-"

Frank cut his babbling off with a snort of laughter, seemingly finding the whole thing funny.

Gerard's face changed from regret to confusion. He looked at Ray for guidance.

Ray just shrugged, finishing his beer off. "Frank just narrowly avoided a mental breakdown. I think he has the right to be a bit strange."

"A mental breakdown?" Gerard looked back at Frank who had now stopped laughing. "Why?"

Frank sighed, not really wanting to elaborate; especially to a stranger. "A lot of shit has happened and I finally snapped. No big deal. I need another drink." He looked at Ray since he was the legal one.

Ray sighed and got up. "I'll be right back." He went into the bar in aid of alcohol.

It was silent between the remaining two at the table until Gerard said quietly, "I should probably go back to my brother. I mean um..."

Frank was nodding already, "Oh yeah you don't want to leave him on his own for too long."

Gerard chuckled lightly. "He's not on his own. He and his girlfriend dragged me out."

"Oh?" Frank wasn't too sure what to say. "So you're third-wheeling?"

"I guess you could call it that." Gerard smiled and then it dropped slightly. "They're trying to find someone for me."

Going from his tone of voice and the slightly sour look on his face, Frank came to his conclusion, "That's a bad thing then?"

"Well..." Gerard frowned, trying to find the right words, "I'm fine on my own but they don't seem to understand that. If I wanted to be in a relationship, I'd actually try to leave my apartment and look for one. You get me?"

Frank nodded, "Yeah, yeah. You don't have to be with someone to be happy." How ironic that twenty minutes earlier, he had been telling himself the opposite. Heart to heart's with strangers were new.

"Thanks for agreeing." Gerard's smile was back and in full force.

"Have you told your brother that?" Frank asked, seemingly more interested now that Gerard had a smile on his face.

The other nodded. "Lost count. He won't hear it though. I think it's because he's so happy with Kristin that he wants me to have the same thing."

That made sense. Frank had no experience when it came to meddling brothers but he could at least try to relate. "Hate to break it to your brother," He glanced around before looking at Gerard again, "There aren't many hot chicks here tonight. Seems like a total guyfest."

Gerard's expression changed slightly, the smile on his face now hiding a laugh that wanted to escape. "That uh..." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "That isn't a problem..."

 _Oh_. "Oh." Frank said, feeling pretty stupid. Wasn't he always the one having a go at other people for jumping to heteronormality conclusions? How stupid did _he_ look.

"Yeah uh..." Gerard swallowed slightly, apparently giving in and going the whole nine yards, "The real reason I came over was uh... This is really embarrassing."

"Go ahead." Frank leaned closer over the table slightly. He was very interested in what he had to say.

Gerard laughed nervously and looked down at the table before continuing. "When you started your um... rant, we just watched for a bit and I said that I wondered if you were alright. So Mikey said I should go and ask and I was like _no_ _thanks_. My brother can read me like a book so he knew the real reason and he teased me until I came over and now I know he's watching us." Gerard glanced to another table before looking back down and finally taking a breath.

It took Frank around three point five seconds to take in everything that had just been said. "What was the real reason?"

Gerard looked even more uncomfortable and it was at that moment that Ray appeared again with two beers. "Oh, hey, you're still here." He didn't mean it in a negative way, more in a surprised way, but that was all the incentive Gerard needed.

He stood up. "You're right; I should go. Nice to meet you guys." He turned to head over to his previous table.

"Hang the fuck on!" Frank jumped up himself, nearly falling yet again. He really needed to take in his surroundings.

Gerard looked at him again in surprise and also embarrassment. It was silent; Frank and Gerard staring at each other and Ray looking from one to the other with his beer in his hand.

"Have I missed something?"

Gerard sighed and finally gave in. "The real reason I didn't want to come over was because I thought you were cute, okay? But I was genuinely worried about your uh mental wellbeing so I did come over. Although, Mikey would argue that I was supposed to get your number."

It went silent again.

Ray drank some of his beer. "Damn, I missed a lot."

Frank had never had a guy come up to him before so this was all going way over his head. "Oh."

"Yeah." Gerard looked like he was going to turn and run at any moment, "And now I've made it awkward which is why I don't date people." He was about to turn again when Frank made him stop.

"You're cute."

Gerard just stared at him. "I... What?"

Frank nodded and continued, "You're cute and I'd like to date you."

Ray choked slightly on his beer and Gerard smiled widely.

"Are you serious? You don't even know me."

"Duh." Frank rolled his eyes, a smile playing on his own face, "That's the point of dating: to get to know each other."

Gerard smiled at his feet and it was quite honestly, one of the sweetest things Frank had ever seen.

"You want my number then?" Frank offered, "Since that's why you came over."

Gerard looked up again with a blush creeping on his cheeks. "Um yeah, that would be great."

As Frank took out his phone, he smiled at Gerard again and said, "Guess you are my sign. Thanks, Universe."


End file.
